Mohamed Lamine Yattara of Guinea celebrates his goal against Ivory Coast during their 2015 African Cup of Nations Group D match in Malabo yesterday. (Reuters)
DPA/Malabo
African Cup of Nations title contenders Ivory Coast had to come back from a goal and a man down to pick up a 1-1 draw against Guinea in yesterday’s Group D opener.
Mohamed Yattara put the underdogs ahead in the 36th minute. And things looked good for Guinea, who had never beaten Ivory Coast, when Ivorian star Gervinho was sent off with a red card in the 57th minute.
But substitute Seydou Doumbia saved a point for The Elephants with his strike in the 72nd minute.
Roma forward Gervinho nearly gave the favourites the lead in the 17th minute as his blast from 12 yards was tipped off the bar by Guinea keeper Naby Yattara.
Guinea surprisingly went ahead in the 36th minute with Mohamed Yattara blasting home a wonderful volley after a cross from the right side for his seventh goal in 13 caps.
The Ivorians invested more offensively after the break, but then went a man down in the 57th minute. Gervinho slapped Guinea’s Naby Keita and was then dismissed with the red card. Guinea nearly finished off Ivory Coast in the 61st minute, but Ibrahima Traore’s left foot shot from 18 yards out clipped only the crossbar.
Despite being a man down, the favourites broke through the Guinean defence in the 72nd minute as a long ball from Yara Toure went to Wilfried Bony, who passed into the run of Doumbia and the CSKA Moscow striker calmly beat Naby Yattara.
Algeria fight back to beat South Africa 3-1
South Africa missed a penalty and conceded an own goal as top-ranked Algeria came from behind to win 3-1 in Group C game on Monday.
After a nightmare in the previous Cup when they were the first team eliminated despite also being high up the rankings, Algeria fought back for a winning start to their campaign.
But it could have been a vastly different story after South Africa took a 51st minute lead through Thuso Phala and then won a penalty minutes later for a chance to go 2-0 up.
They had already struck the crossbar in the first half through Dean Furman and looked to be in the driving seat after getting behind the Algerian defence just before the interval.
But Tokelo Rantie blasted the 58th minute kick against the crossbar. South African defender Thulani Hlatshwayo then mistimed a header to concede an own goal in the 67th minute to allow Algeria back into the game.
His attempted clearance of Yacine Brahimi’s innocuous-looking chip shaved the top of his head and beat his goalkeeper Darren Keet. Algeria were ahead four minutes later when full back Faouzi Ghoulam blasted home. Islam Slimani made sure of the win with a third goal in the 82nd minute as the ball slipped under Keet’s body in another error from the South Africans. “It was an intense game and it could have been catastrophic. But things turn quickly in football and we played well to come back and win,” said Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff.